THE jury was sent out to begin deliberations today in the trial into the alleged murder of 16-month-old toddler Star Hobson.

The 11-person jury – one juror left the trial midway through – are now tasked with coming to a unanimous decision on the fates of defendants Savannah Brockhill and Frankie Smith.

Brockhill, 28, of Hawthorn Close, Keighley, and Smith, 20, of Wesley Place, Keighley, are both charged with murdering Star – Smith’s daughter – and also with causing or allowing her death. They deny all charges.

Star died on September 22, 2020, four months after her first birthday from catastrophic abdominal injuries caused by blunt force trauma.

Forensic pathologist Dr Christopher Johnson said a “blow or blows, likely a punch, kick or stamp, delivered with a severe degree of force” caused a 2cm x 2cm laceration to Star’s inferior vena cava – the main vein bringing blood back to the heart from the lower body – which would have led to death “in minutes” and was “unsurvivable”.

During the lengthy trial, which has entered its eighth week, the jury have heard a large amount of evidence, from members of Frankie Smith’s and Savannah Brockhill’s families, friends, medical experts, police officers, a linguistic expert specialising in the English-Romany language, and a security trainer.

They have also seen several videos, recorded by Smith and Brockhill and also taken from CCTV, heard hundreds of messages between the pair, seen scores of photographs and heard recordings of the 999 call and a phone conversation between the defendants.

In her summing up over the past two days, High Court Judge The Honourable Dame Justice Christina Lambert QC told the jury to put their emotions to one side and consider the evidence in the case objectively.

She ran through the important evidence in the case, telling the jury to make their own interpretations of the trustworthiness of the evidence they have heard, and to view any footage they have been shown through the trial with fresh eyes.

Prosecutor Alistair MacDonald QC spent the first 16 and a half days of the trial setting out the case of the Crown, calling members of Smith’s family including her mother Yvonne Spendley, grandparents, siblings and close friends.

He also showed CCTV footage and presented medical evidence, aided by a series of esteemed experts in pathology.

It was then the turn of Savannah Brockhill to make the case for her defence. She spent days on the witness stand giving her version of events under intense cross-examination from all parties, maintaining she never assaulted Star at any time during Star’s short life and continuing to deny murdering Star.

Once her evidence was concluded, and two further witnesses had been called in her case, it was the turn of Frankie Smith to take the stand, who also spent a week answering questions from her own legal team and the representatives of the Crown and her co-accused.

The court also heard from a psychologist who told the court Smith had an IQ of 70 and was highly compliant, however his evidence was challenged and it suggested Smith could have been faking.

Smith again denied killing her daughter and also ever hurting Star, although she admitted she had been cruel to her daughter on a number of occasions.

Once the evidence was concluded, the prosecution and defences made their closing speeches, making their final cases and points to the jury, before Mrs Justice Lambert began summing up the case, and on Wednesday, December 9, at 2.20pm, she sent the jury out to decide Smith and Brockhill’s fates.

The trial continues.